Ritual Failure
by Satu-D-2
Summary: A oneshot through Yae's eyes at the ceremony, and as she fails her sister once again. The bond between twins cannot be broken, even by death.


AN. Welcome to my first Project Zero fic... Sorry, I mean Fatal Frame... No, wait...uh... never mind. The point is, this is my first and I hope you enjoy it. Just as a note, I have only heard of this scene, so I've probably tweaked what actually happened around a little...don't flame me for it...please...

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Darkness. Fear. Confusion.

The priests' grip on my arms is strong. Their pull is unrelenting. I stumble over my kimono cord, yet still they pull me on.

I let out a quiet sob, but it is lost beneath the chanting. That chanting... It grows louder as we draw closer to that pit...that hellish abyss. My heart seems to stop beating, my stomach clenches, I feel woozy...sick. I fight against the priests, but they only tighten their grip, continue to pull me forward.

My breath is sucked away as we enter the abyss. Row upon row of chanting priests slowly turn their heads towards me. The ceremony master, my own father, waits near the edge. He does not turn to face me, and I am glad for that much.

"N-no," I gasp, my words once more lost beneath the chanting of the priests. The priests holding my arms tighten their grip painfully, making me gasp. I trip over my trailing, red kimono cord again, stumbling as they pull me towards the edge.

The all-consuming blackness of the pit before me silences me. There are no discernable shapes in that darkness, but I know the bodies of countless people litter the abyss floor. All were killed by people they loved, people they trusted. People they were bonded to in a way that is unrivalled in all the rest of nature.

The chanting grows louder, and I look back towards the priests. There is a double line of them approaching, carrying something between them. Without having to look, I know what it is.

"Sae." My voice is a low moan. My body grows lax, only the tight grip of the priests keeping my upright.

The chanting priests carry the body towards the edge. I can only watch as the body of Sae, dressed in the same white kimono as myself, tumbles down into the darkness. My sister, my twin. The only person I've ever had a bond with. She was my life, my breath, and now she is dead.

There is a silence, as we all wait for Sae to rise again on the wings of a crimson butterfly, so the ritual can be complete and life in the village can return to normal.

But no, there is nothing from the pit. No minute fluttering of wings as Sae's soul manifests into a butterfly. No glow as the butterfly fights its way to freedom.

"No...the ritual...it can't fail!"

There is a quiet murmur as the priests' chanting falters, then stops entirely. They exchange glances, starting to mutter amongst themselves.

Slowly, unbelievably slowly, Sae begins to rise from the abyss. My eyes widen. My darling twin, the sweetest person I've ever known, ever met, is laughing. Her cold, maniacal laughter reverberates around the abyss, sending terror into the hearts of the priests.

They begin to flee, slowly at first, then faster and faster as Sae emerges completely from the pit. Her white kimono shines in the dim light, the red kimono cord swinging gently as she steps onto solid ground.

"Oh god!"

The priests holding me release their grip, running for safety with the others. Sae laughs malevolently after them, mirth mixed with insanity.

I fall to my knees when the priests let go, staring disbelievingly at the white-clad form of my sister. My dead twin.

"Sae," I moan quietly. Now my voice is not drowned out by the chanting of priests, but by their screams. Sae strikes one of them down thoughtlessly, and their blood splashes her white kimono. "Oh, Sae."

Another goes down, and yet another. Their blood runs in streams, trickling into the vast chasm of the abyss. Sae kills them, and I can hear the screams as the others try to escape. Before she chases them, however, she stops in front of me.

Her laughter falters, and we stare at each other. Our faces, which used to be identical in every aspect, are now very different. Hers is blood splattered, her lips twisted in a cruel smile. Mine is tear-stained, anguish etched into every aspect of my features.

"I don't know if you can hear or understand me, Sae," I say, and I know she understands by the way she tilts her head slightly. "I don't know how you can live, I don't know why. I just...I..." I trail off, giving off a quiet sob. She kneels down in front of me, her face level with mine. We mirror each other again, the only difference between us the blood that splatters her. "I want you to kill me, Sae. Let me join you in death. I don't want us to be apart again." I start sobbing harder, tears streaming down my face. "I want us to be together forever. I've failed you, my dear sister. I left you, and now you're dead. Please, kill me, Sae. Please."

She tilts her head even further, but slips her hands around my throat. I feel a burst of glorious exhilaration as her grip tightens, cutting off my air. In one fabulous swoop our roles are reversed. She has become the executioner, taken her rightful place as the stronger twin. I am nothing next to her, and as my vision begins to fade I see only the girl I have loved with my whole heart for my whole life.

"I...love...you...Sae," I whisper, and then I slip into darkness.

Forever gone. Forever lost. Forever a part of the one I love.

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AN. Well...that was interesting. I just came up with that story idea this morning and had to write it. It was screaming at me to be written. Seriously... Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, I know I loved writing it. 


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